Reductive Leaching of Metals from Li-ion Battery Electrodes

Technology Licensing Opportunity - This is not a procurement. Reductive Leaching of Metals from Li-ion Battery Electrodes Using Inexpensive Materials at Room Temperature to Extract Metals Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), is offering the opportunity to enter into a license agreement for the purpose of commercializing and collaboration to jointly develop this method of Reductive Leaching of metals from Li-ion Battery Electrodes. Background: A growing need for Li-ion batteries (LIB) is applying pressure on the cost and availability of the materials used in battery components, specifically the metals used in the electrodes. LIB recycling is being widely explored as a way to stabilize material supply to address growing demand. Typical recycling processes utilize the mild reducing nature of an acid, or the addition of mild reducing agents. However, the reactions usually require elevated temperatures and multiple hours for completion. A process with improved cost and efficiency is needed to recover individual metals of value from LIB electrode materials. Description: Researchers at INL have developed a process that effectively leaches cobalt and other valuable constituents from Li-ion battery electrodes at room temperature with short reaction times. This method has been extended to an electrochemical process which minimizes the amount of reducing agent needed and provides an inexpensive and scalable process for the cobalt recovery. The lower acid content is compatible with known metal extraction conditions needed for multi-metal battery chemistries. Applications: This technology can be applied to the battery recycling industry. Advantages: This technology uses inexpensive materials and can be easily scaled. In addition, the leaching happens at room temperature while current methods require elevated temperatures. The main advantage of this process is the reduced chemical input required for the dissolution proves compared to current techniques. Impact: This method will reduce costs by requiring less energy and time than current methods. Development: Development of this technology is ongoing. Proof of concept has been demonstrated at bench scale. Process integration and optimization is the focus of ongoing research. IP Status: US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/861,672, - Methods of Recovering Active Materials from Rechargeable Batteries, and Related Apparatuses. A webinar was recorded about this technology and can be found at the following link: https://iastate.app.box.com/v/cmi-webinar-june-2019. INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Please visit Technology Deployment's website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process. Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Ryan Bills at ryan.bills@inl.gov.